Ready for the Fight
by drewandian
Summary: Written for the sga lfws tourney on LiveJournal.  Prompt was to write from an inanimate object's POV and start with "I am".


We are Teyla Emmagan's Bantos Sticks.

Her father carved us from the wood of the oldest and strongest tree on Athos when Teyla was just a baby. He shaped us and spent hours smoothing and polishing us until we were perfect. Charin found us and presented us to Teyla when she came of age.

Teyla was a natural warrior from the very beginning. Strong, lithe, relentless, she never backed down from an opponent, regardless of their size or level of skill. She quickly mastered fighting with us and rose through the ranks of warriors at a pace that would have made her father very proud.

We were there when Tagan was culled by the Wraith. We believed even then that she would make a formidable leader and she did not disappoint us. She threw herself into her training completely and we were proud to be the Bantos sticks of the future leader of the Athosians. She continued to be a strong and skilled warrior.

Now that Teyla fights alongside the new occupants of the city of the Ancestors, we do not do battle as often as we did in the past. Teyla has begun to use the weapons of Major Sheppard and his people, finding the finality they offer more effective against most enemies. We sorely miss the fight and are relieved that Teyla still trains with us.

Our favorite sparring partner is Major Sheppard. Hand to hand combat does not come as naturally to him as it does Teyla, but he tries hard and is a worthy opponent.

Teyla holds us in one hand, spinning us around swiftly. Oh how we love to feel the air whoosh around us as we spin, preparing to strike or defend. Despite her cool demeanor, we are slick with sweat; we can feel her heart beating quickly as she grips us tightly.

Sheppard lunges toward us and Teyla very neatly side steps away from him, swinging us swiftly and striking his upper thigh firmly. His muscles are firm and toned and we make a satisfying thumping sound as we make contact with his leg.

We have little time to enjoy that satisfaction, however, as Teyla turns quickly and assumes her fighting stance. Her body is poised, coiled like a snake, ready to spring and strike back again. She tightens her grip on us, still keeping us together in one hand. Sheppard moves back into position, limping slightly, and we feel her deepen her stance more.

The anticipation of his attack is agonizing for us, but it seems not to faze Teyla at all. She prowls around him lithely like a big cat, stalks her prey. She has infinite patience and lets him come at her again, swinging us up over her head to block his attack.

We make a satisfying clack against his practice sticks, vibrating slightly in Teyla's hands upon impact. She swings us around and we whip through the air, making contact with his sticks again as he blocks our punishing blow.

We're moved back into a defensive position as Teyla and Sheppard continue to dance around one another. Teyla swings us around her head again, almost daring Sheppard to attack. He isn't nearly as patient as she is and lunges at us again.

Teyla again dodges his attack, catching just the tip of his sticks to her knee as she moves. She swings us through the air again, and we make solid contact with his backside. Before he has a chance to recover, Teyla moves us under his arm and across his neck, bringing him to his knees.

The sparring session is over; Teyla has again conquered Major Sheppard, although we have to fight longer and harder to defeat him.

We are also proud to help Teyla teach her craft. She is more than a warrior; she is also a patient teacher. Our favorite student is Dr. Weir. She is a leader like Teyla, but unlike Teyla she is reluctant to wield weapons, even in self-defense. With our help, Teyla is teaching her that defending herself need not result in fatal injury. Through our tutelage, Dr. Weir is becoming a warrior in her own right, channeling her strength and energy in ways that make us proud.

Teyla moves to the window, pulls a soft cloth from her bag and polishes us lovingly before gently returning us to her bag for safe keeping. She has many memories tied to us; in addition to our practical value to Teyla, we contain a great bit of sentimental value. We are one of her strongest ties to the father she lost so long ago.

We will be stored in a safe corner of her closet until she's ready to train with us again. We will hold her memories, fears, defeats and triumphs for her.


End file.
